The Fred Hollows Foundation

What The Fred Hollows Foundation does

The Fred Hollows Foundation is an independent, non-profit international development organization founded in 1992 by Professor Fred Hollows and Gabi Hollows AO, headquartered in Sydney, Australia. The Foundation delivers sight-restoring and blindness-prevention services across 25+ countries in Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Australasia, with regional offices in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Kenya, and Rwanda. Its core work spans cataract surgery, trachoma treatment, diabetic retinopathy management, refractive error correction, and training of eye health professionals from community health workers to surgeons. The Foundation operates a distinctive proprietary manufacturing capability through intraocular lens factories in Eritrea and Nepal, producing lenses for approximately $5 each (compared to hundreds in Western markets) and exporting 4+ million lenses to 40+ countries. It also distributes the Arclight, a ~$10 solar-powered pocket ophthalmoscope, and invests in AI diagnostic tools and teleophthalmology to extend reach into low-resource settings.

The Foundation's revenue model is diversified across individual donations (monthly "Visionaries" subscriptions), corporate partnerships (notably a 15-year Specsavers eyewear partnership donating $25 per $199 AUD pair), government grants (notably the Australian DFAT AU$16.5M SPARK commitment), philanthropy and bequests, and fundraising events. Delivery occurs through partnerships with local and national governments, WHO, UNDP, ATscale, and grassroots NGOs rather than direct service provision. The Foundation is funded primarily through donations rather than commercial sales; the average cost to restore someone's sight is approximately $25, with cataract surgery generating an estimated $20-$28 return per dollar invested. The Foundation's 2024-2028 Five-Year Strategy emphasizes health systems strengthening, gender equity (women account for 55% of vision loss), and Indigenous Australian eye health. Recognition includes the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award (€1 million, shared with LCIF and IAPB), the world's largest vision award. Operations serve 1.1 billion people globally affected by vision loss, of which 90% is preventable or treatable.

Name

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Legal name

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Website

https://hollows.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Fred Hollows Foundation is a non-profit international development organization founded in 1992 that delivers sight-restoring eye care across 25+ countries, including cataract surgery, trachoma treatment, and training of eye health professionals for underserved populations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye Health Humanitarian Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

Keywords

• Eye health programs
• Cataract surgery services
• Humanitarian healthcare
• Nonprofit eye care
• Ophthalmology training

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. The foundation runs monthly giving programs (Visionaries) where donors commit to regular contributions to restore sight and transform lives.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with corporations like Specsavers who donate portions of product sales. The 15-year partnership with Specsavers generates funds through eyewear collections.
3. Philanthropy and Major Gifts: Support from high-net-worth individuals, philanthropists, and estate gifts/bequests. The foundation encourages legacy giving through wills.
4. Government Grants: Support through Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and other government development programs. Australian Government DFAT supports initiatives like SPARK in Solomon Islands.
5. Fundraising Events: Community fundraising events including Fred's Big Run, workplace giving programs, and Create Your Own Event fundraising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Fred Hollows Foundation is a charitable non-profit that prevents and treats avoidable blindness in low- and middle-income countries by delivering sight-restoring surgeries (primarily cataract, trachoma, and diabetic retinopathy), training local eye surgeons and community health workers, and distributing affordable medical devices. It funds these activities through individual donations, philanthropy, government grants, and corporate partnerships, and supplements them with proprietary low-cost intraocular lens production in Eritrea and Nepal.

Product overview

The Fred Hollows Foundation is a charitable organization focused on eliminating avoidable blindness worldwide, not a technology company with software products. The Foundation offers a portfolio of eye health programs and services including: comprehensive eye health screenings, surgeries, and treatments for conditions like cataract, trachoma, and diabetic retinopathy; the Sight Simulator tool to help people understand vision impairment; affordable medical technologies including intraocular lenses (manufactured in Nepal and Eritrea) and the Arclight portable ophthalmoscope; training programs for eye health professionals; and research and technology initiatives. Additional offerings include the Indigenous Australia Program, the Humanity Award for children, and fundraising events like Fred's Big Run. The Foundation operates across 25+ countries in Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Australasia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eye Health Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,693,172 people screened in 2025
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SpecsaverscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2026Specsavers has partnered with The Fred Hollows Foundation for 15 years to support Indigenous eye health. A limited-edition eyewear collection donates $25 from each $199 AUD pair sold to the Indigenous Australia Program. In 2025, this partnership helped screen over 24,000 people, deliver 330 surgeries, and provide 3,600 diabetic retinopathy treatments.
• Villgro AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Impact investor Villgro Africa and The Fred Hollows Foundation launched the 2026 Eye Health Accelerator, selecting eight health-tech startups from Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. The program offers catalytic capital, technical support, and market access to develop affordable eye-care solutions.
• Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025LCIF co-won the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award (€1 million) with The Fred Hollows Foundation and IAPB for contributions to preventing and treating blindness globally.
• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025IAPB co-won the 2025 António Champalimaud Vision Award with The Fred Hollows Foundation and LCIF. Together, the three organizations provided eye health services to over 544 million people and trained millions of eye health professionals across 100+ countries.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO partnered with The Fred Hollows Foundation on the SPARK program in Solomon Islands, targeting 24,194 children for assistive technology screening. The program also provides 1,452 glasses, 76 hearing aids, and 250 mobility assistive products.
• ATscalemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerATscale is a global partnership for assistive technology, collaborating with The Fred Hollows Foundation on the SPARK program in Solomon Islands to improve access to assistive technology for school-aged children with disabilities.
• UNDPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP supports the SPARK program in Solomon Islands alongside The Fred Hollows Foundation, WHO, ATscale, and DFAT.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sightsavers: Sightsavers is a UK-based international development NGO working to eliminate avoidable blindness in low- and middle-income countries across Africa and Asia. Highly comparable to The Fred Hollows Foundation in mission, geographic focus, target diseases (trachoma, cataract), and funding model (individual donations, government grants, corporate partnerships).
• Orbis International: Orbis operates the Flying Eye Hospital and partners with local hospitals to deliver eye care training in low- and middle-income countries. Comparable to The Fred Hollows Foundation in mission, training-intensive delivery model, and global program footprint.
• Helen Keller International: Helen Keller International addresses preventable blindness (trachoma, cataract, vitamin A deficiency) plus child nutrition globally. Comparable mission and target beneficiary populations, with significant overlap in countries of operation in Africa and Asia.
• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): CBM is an international disability and eye health NGO focused on preventable blindness and disability inclusion across the developing world. Directly comparable operating model: trains local ophthalmologists, supports community-based rehabilitation, and serves populations similar to those reached by The Fred Hollows Foundation.
• Cure Blindness Project: Cure Blindness Project (formerly Himalayan Cataract Project) is explicitly listed as a global partnership peer of The Fred Hollows Foundation. Both organizations focus on high-volume cataract surgery delivery and training ophthalmologists across Africa and South Asia.
• Light for the World: Light for the World is an Austria-based NGO focused on eye health and disability inclusion across Africa and Asia. Comparable mission, beneficiary segments, and partner-driven delivery model, operating at slightly smaller scale.
• Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF): LCIF is co-winner of the 2025 Champalimaud Vision Award and the world's largest volunteer eye health funder. Directly comparable in mission, training/surgery delivery, and global reach, while operating through a much larger volunteer base.
• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB): IAPB is an alliance of eye health NGOs that co-won the 2025 Champalimaud Award alongside The Fred Hollows Foundation. Although structured as an umbrella/coalition rather than an operating NGO, it competes for institutional grants and convening influence in the same donor and policy ecosystem.

Emerging players

• OneSight: OneSight is a US-based nonprofit focused on vision care access including glasses distribution and sustainable clinic models in underserved communities. Partially overlapping on refractive error and glasses distribution work, with a stronger retail clinic orientation than The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Broad incumbents

• World Vision Australia: World Vision Australia is a large multi-sector international development NGO where incoming CEO Ross Piper previously served as COO. Compares as a broad incumbent in Australian headquartered international development organizations, with eye health as one of many program areas rather than a focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FredHollows
• Instagraminstagram.com/fredhollowsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-fred-hollows-foundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FredHollowsFoundation
• Xx.com/FredHollows

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Fred Hollows Foundation